


Scandal

by lionwolves



Category: Game of Thrones (TV), Scandal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, F/M, Political AU, Scandal AU, Slow Burn, Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:07:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22565248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionwolves/pseuds/lionwolves
Summary: Cersei is running for president and Oberyn is the fixer that is hired to help her campaign. (Based on the TV show ‘Scandal’ but it is not necessary to have seen it.)
Relationships: Cersei Lannister/Oberyn Martell, minor Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister - Relationship
Comments: 10
Kudos: 17





	Scandal

“We are too far down in the polls!” Cersei exclaims to the room full of her campaign staff.

Tyrion, her younger brother and presidential campaign manager, cringes at the volume of her voice. “Cers—“

Cersei shakes her head at his attempt to calm her. “No, what is it? We’ve reached out to voters, we’ve ticked every policy issue, but I’m losing to  _ Stannis Baratheon _ in the primaries?”

“Madam First Lady,” Qyburn begins, still accustomed to using her title when she was Robert’s First Lady during his presidency. “The problem isn’t what we’re doing. The problem is—“

“Your personality,” A male voice answers from the back of the room.

Cersei looks past her campaign staff and sees the man, wearing a suit with a striped orange tie, walk closer to the podium where she stands.

“To the voters, you’re absolutely cold, uncharismatic, and unfriendly, Now, I know what you’re all thinking. Your ex brother-in-law, Stannis, is all those things, too, but since people are so stuck to gender stereotypes, that’s fine for a man, but women are supposed warm, motherly, desirable. It’s demeaning and objectifying, but it’s absolutely true and it’s exactly why you’re losing the primary,” The man explains. 

“And _you_ are?” Cersei asks, not concealing the frown on her face.

“Martell,” He replies smoothly. “Oberyn Martell.”

“Oberyn is an old friend of mine. We worked at a law firm together when I first got out of law school,” Tyrion explains. “I called him in to help.”

“I don’t care who you are,” Cersei says to Oberyn. “No one comes into my campaign speaking to me that way, with or without an introduction.”

Cersei takes one long look at Oberyn before she moves past him and exits the meeting room. 

Immediately, Tyrion mutters apologies to Oberyn and follows after his sister. He finds her sitting at the desk in her office. 

“Is he gone?” Cersei asks him as soon as she sees her brother in her doorway. “If not, I want him gone.”

Tyrion sighs. “He’s smart, Cers. He’s brilliant, actually. He can turn the whole campaign around. He‘s how we win this election.”

“I don’t care. I don’t like how he spoke to me.”

“Because he’s right?!” Tyrion challenges. 

Cersei gives Tyrion a hard glare that he is used to seeing over the years. 

Oberyn peeks his head into her office. “I’ll be leaving now, Tyrion. Good luck with your campaign, Senator Lannister.”

Cersei is surprised by his use of her current senatorial title rather than First Lady, as people so often use. 

“Go get him back,” Tyrion tells her. “Now. We need him. I’m telling you right now, Cersei. We will not win this election without him. And I refuse to lose an election for the first time and tarnish my record, so you’ll have to lose me, too.”

Cersei sizes up his threat before she huffs and gets up from her desk. 

She exits her office and rushes down the hallway after Oberyn.

“Mr. Martell!” 

Oberyn turns around on his heel and glances back at her.

“Don’t leave,” Cersei says simply.

“That’s the best you can do?” Oberyn asks, inching closer to her.

“I apologize for how I reacted and I want you to stay on my campaign.”

Oberyn shakes his head. “No, I don’t care what your brother wants you to say. I want to know why  _ you _ came after me.” 

Cersei swallows, finding it difficult to admit what she is about to. “Because you were right about what you said. Why I’m losing.”

Oberyn moves close enough so that their faces are inches away from each other. 

“And I want you to fix it. I want you to help me win,” Cersei continues. 

“I can do that,” Oberyn replies with a smirk. 

They hold each other’s gaze for a few moments as tension rises between them.

Cersei clears her throat, breaking eye contact with him. “I suppose we should get to work, then.”

“Right, we should.” 

Oberyn watches her as she walks away.

**Author's Note:**

> I haven’t published a new Obersei fic in a while. I missed writing them and I’ve had this idea in my head for months, but I didn’t start writing it until I decided to rewatch some episodes of Scandal. If you have seen Scandal, you’ll understand the direct adaptation of this AU. Cersei is most like Fitz, not character-wise, but because she’s running for president. Oberyn is most like Olivia Pope because he is the campaign fixer. Otherwise, they are still their own characters, or at least my modern version of them. And there are more characters that will appear that don’t fit with any specific Scandal character, but you get the point. I hope y’all enjoy this! Let me know in the comments.


End file.
